Hook seam container and closure joint



1947- w. J. TAYLOR ET AL I HOOK SEAM CONTAINER AND CLOSURE JOINT Filed July 18, 1944 El ixizi 1 III 1| Juventor: William! 7bglor J Jo/m Cayle,

Patented Dec. 16, 1947 HOOK SEAM CONTAINER AND CLOSURE JOINT William J. Taylor and John Coyle, Baltimore, Md., assignors to Continental Can Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application July 18, 1944, Serial No. 545,502

3 Claims. (01. 220-24) The invention relates generally to metallic receptacles and primarily seeks to provide a novel container closure which is effective to efflciently seal the container and yet is so constructed that it can be freed by a downwardly applied pressure and then readily lifted oil the container on which it was applied.

In conventional can closures the can body is provided with an outwardly turned flange at its open end, and the closure has a centrally depressed portion providing a heel insertible into the open end of the body and said closure also includes an outwardly directed flange which rests upon and extends beyond the peripheral edge of the flange and is provided with a downwardly and inwardly turned edge curl. In attaching such closures to the can bodies, the closure flange and the body flange are turned together into a seam in which the can body flange turns downwardly in parallel spaced relation to the can body in the form of a downwardly open hook, and the closure flange tightly embraces said hook with its edge portion extending upwardly and tightly clamped in said hook. In its more detailed nature, the present invention resides in providing an improved closure having a channel extending upwardly above the top extremity of the can body and its hook and so placed as to be adaptable to receive said top extremity and its hook upon application of pressure applied in a downward direction on the applied closure and sufficient to force the closure and can body hooks out of interengaging contact, thereby to open the seam by which the closure is attached to the can body.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a container closure structure of the character stated, means on the can body engageable by the closure hook as it is pressed down over the upper end portion of the can body in a manner for expanding said hook or enlarging the diameter thereof to an extent sufiicient to permit the closure to be readily lifted off the container body with the closure hook passing freely over the container body hook, and as readily replaced on said body as a reclosure element.

Another object of the invention is to provide a container closure structure of the character stated in which the closure hook expanding means is in the form of an outwardly projecting bead provided on the can body below the body hook.

Another object of the invention is to provide a container closure structure of the character stated in which the closure hook is transversely slitted at intervals to facilitate expansion thereof as a result of the downward pressure applied to the closure and the resulting contact of said hook with the container body borne hook expanding means.

Another object of the invention is to provide a container structure of the character stated in which the closure is provided with a wedge portion at the juncture of the hook thereof and the upwardly extended channel and which is engageable with the can body hook when the closure is pressed downwardly so as to facilitate spreading of said channel and entry of said can body hook thereinto.

With the above and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description, the appended claims, and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a part side elevation and part vertical cross section of a container embodying the invention, the improved closure being attached to the container body.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view illustrating the improved closure loosely assembled on but not attached to the container body.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view illustrating the container in the closure released, closure hook expanded condition effected by application of downward pressure on the clo sure attached in the manner illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 illustrating the manner in which the closure can be withdrawn upwardly from the container body after the closure hook has been expanded in the manner illustrated in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the transverse slitting cf the closure flange prior to the edge curling thereof.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional perspective view taken through one of the slits in the improved closure.

In this disclosure the invention is illustrated as embodied in a container structure including a conventional body 5 equipped with the usual bottom closure 6. The body is provided with the usual outwardly directed flange l at its open upper end, and also with an outwardly directed bead 8 spaced a short distance below said flange.

The improved closure unit is shown as loosely applied on the container body prior to attachment thereof in Figure 2, and this unit includes a centrally depressed main body portion 9 and an upstanding peripheral flange providing a heel ill insertible into the open upper end of the can body in the manner illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. The flange is extended above the heel portion as at I l to form the inner wall of a channel I2 which is defined outwardly by a relatively short wall l3 which merges at its lower end in a downwardly and outwardly directed wedge portion I4 which in turn merges into an outwardly directed horizontal flange I5. The flange [5 is downwardly 3 and inwardly curled at its peripheral edge as at I6.

In efiecting attachment of the improved closure to the can body, the body and closure flanges I and I are turned together into a hook seam generally designated I1, and which is formed by the downwardly open body hook I8 and the upwardly open closure hook I9 which interengage in the manner clearly illustrated in Figure 1 to form said hook seam. It will be observed by reference to Figure 1 of the drawing that the wedge portion I4 closely overlies the body hook I8 so as to secure the container seal.

Prior to curling of the closure flange I5 as at I6 said flange is transversely slit at a plurality of places as at 20. It has been found that three or four such slits will suffice, and the purpose of this slitting will become apparent as this disclosure progresses.

When the closure is applied in the manner illustrated in Figure 1 to effect a tight sealing of the container, the wall I3 and flange I5 of the closure form a closure unit flange which is offset at the position of the wedging surface I4, and this flange, forming part of the closure hook I 9, tightly embraces the body hook I8, and the closure hook I9 is tightly clamped within said body hook I8 in the manner clearly illustrated in Figure 1.

When it is desired to open the container, it is only necessary to apply pressure downwardly on the closure suflicient to force the closure hook I9 downwardly out of the body hook I8. As this downward pressure is applied the wedging surface I4 will facilitate entry of the body hook I8 into the channel I2, eflecting a spreading of the wall I3, I5 in the manner illustrated in Figure 3. Downward movement of the closure unit also causes the closure I9 to engage the container body bead 8, and this contact serves to expand the hook 19 in the manner clearly illustrated in Fgure 3 so that the closure unit can be readily withdrawn upwardly from the container body without interference of the body hook I8 in the manner clearly illustrated in Figure 4. The slittin 20 serves to relieve tension in the closure unit hook l I9 incident to the above mentioned expansion thereof, and thus tendency of said hook to spring back inwardly into position for objectionably engaging the container body hook I8 during removal of the closure unit is avoided.

, It will be obvious by reference to Figures 3 and 4 of the drawing that after the channel I2 has been spread in the manner described for permit ting free removal of the closure, said closure can be removed and reapplied as often as is desired,

said spread channel providing a resilient reclosure feature in the container structure.

While one form of the invention has been shown for purposes of illustration, it is to be clearly understood that various changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a container, a can body, and a closure attached to said body by a hook seam formed by a body flange turned downwardly in parallel spaced relation to the can body in the form of a downwardly open hook and a cover flange tightly embracing said hook and having an edge portion forming an upwardly open hook tightly clamped in the downwardly open hook, said closure including a heel connected with its hook and nested in the body opposite theclosure hook and extending above the seam a distance sufficient to cooperate with the cover flange in formin a body hook receiving channel of a depth at least as great as the depth of the closure hook, whereby upon application of pressure downward on said closure the closure hook will be forced out of the body hook and the body hook will be received in said channel, and means on the body engageable by the closure hook as it is forced downwardly for expanding the closure hook so that the closure can be lifted off the body without interference of the body book.

2. In a container, a can body, and a closure attached 'to said body by a hook seam formed by a body flange turned downwardly in parallel spaced relation to the can body in the form of a downwardly open hook and a cover flange tightly embracing said hook and having an edge portion forming an upwardly open hook tightly clamped in the downwardly open hook, said closure including a heel connected with its hook and nested in the body opposite the closure hook and extending above the seam a distance sufficient to cooperate with the cover flange in forming a body hook receiving channel of a depth at least as great as the depth of the closure hook, whereby upon application of pressure downward on said closure the closure hook will be forced out of the body hook and the body hook will be received in said channel, and an outwardly projecting bead on the body engageable by the closure hook as it is forced downwardly for expanding the closure hook so that the closure can be lifted ofi the body without interference of the body hook.

3. In a container, at can body, and a closure attached to said body by a hook seam formed by a body flange turned downwardly in parallel spaced relation to the can body in the form of a downwardly open hook and a cover flange tightly embracing said hook and having an edge portion forming an upwardly open hook tightly clamped in the downwardly open hook, said closure including a heel connected with its hook and nested in the body opposite the closure hook and extending above the seam a distance suflioient to cooperate with the cover flange in forming a body hook receiving channel of a depth at least as great as the depth of the closure hook, whereby upon application Of pressure downward on said closure the closure hook will be forced out of the body hook and the body hook will be received in said channel, and means on the body engageable by the closure hook as it is forced downwardly for expanding the closure hook so that the closure can be lifted off the body without interference of the body hook, said closure hook having slits therein effective to relieve tension incident to the expansion of the closure hook.

WILLIAM J. TAYLOR. JOHN COYLE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,666,221 Sebell Apr. 17, 1928 2,277,066 Bogner Mar. 24, 1942 2,004,535 Noblitt June 11, 1935 1,078,245 Bowman Nov. 11, 1913 2,298,311 Reese Oct. 13, 1942 2,006,045 Hopkins June 25, 1935 651,070 Enoch June 5, 1900 1,739,759 Hothersall 'Dec. 17, 1929 

